A Rocky Road (revised)
by tobehonest17
Summary: Darcy expresses his feelings after the disastrous proposal in Kent. Elizabeth is confused and sets out on a journey to discover her true feelings towards the quiet, brooding gentleman of Pemberley in Derbyshire. (this is a revised edition, with events taking place in 3rd person) The order of events has also been altered- sorry if there is confusion about this!
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey guys, so this was a little experiment that came to mind when someone commented that 1st person is often hard to do well and so that got me thinking that I should re-write the story in 3rd person. Let me know what you think..._**

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Elizabeth angrily marched back in the direction of the parsonage, her feelings whirling about in her mind. As she walked, she examined all that had taken place in the last hour. She had begun her morning at Hunsford as she had every morning since her arrival in Kent; she had intended to find solace and comfort in the wooded areas surrounding Hunsford and Rosings Park, however to no avail. Mr Darcy had come upon her, walking alone in the hopes of finding her. _Her?_ She had believed Mr Darcy indifferent, even bordering on dismissive at times; however the dance at Netherfield had left her confused as to Mr Darcy's character. Elizabeth shook her head at these thoughts as she was sure that she could not have been misled in this manner. She had never been wrong before and she was quite confident that in relation to Mr Darcy, she never would.

Elizabeth rounded the last corner and caught sight once more of the quaint yet charming parsonage that she had called home in recent times. It was with a decided frown that she caught sight of Mr Collins standing in the doorway of his home, anxiously looking about as if to search for his cousin.

At last she reached the gate and heard her cousin call out to her.

"Cousin Eli-" he stammered as Elizabeth studiously ignored him, continuing into the house, such was her present state of mind.

Only once Elizabeth was inside her room, away from prying eyes did she begin to play the laughable and unwanted proposal that Mr Darcy had entreated her to accept, such was his certainty that he would indeed be accepted.

Unaware that she had begun to cry for seemingly no reason, Elizabeth wiped her eyes and took a deep breath as she continued to dwell on the proposal of that afternoon.

Her cousin, Mr Collins, had been wrong, however. He had once said that Elizabeth would not receive a proposal from another man if she did not accept him; however the events of that afternoon had been quite to the contrary. This thought did little to quiet Elizabeth's tumultuous thoughts.

Mr Darcy's words rushed unbidden into her mind at that moment.

" _You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."_

Elizabeth was astonished to realise that these words had been stated without the pomp and arrogance that she had come to associate with Mr Darcy's character, further confusing her, as such traits had been present in all her dealings with that gentleman until then.

Elizabeth could not believe the truthfulness of such a statement as Mr Darcy had uttered it with such confidence and gentleness. She gazed about the room as if in order to ascertain her surroundings and anchor herself to the present.

To add further insult to the unwanted proposal, Mr Darcy had presumed to announce to Elizabeth that he would be willing to marry her, as he put it, "against all better judgement." Elizabeth began to shake, whether from fury at such a presumption or from another cause, she could not rightly tell.

However, when her thoughts turned to her reply, she could easily justify her responses which had chiefly arisen from resentment and indignation of being spoken to in such a manner. She did not find it too difficult to justify her angry words which Mr Darcy had borne as any gentleman would likely have done.

A knock mercifully interrupted Elizabeth's troubling thoughts. She glanced at the doorway and saw her dear friend Charlotte entering the room. Elizabeth smiled as she entered, hoping to reassure her friend that she was well.

"Lizzy, are you truly well?" Charlotte asked as concern crept into her voice and features, as she came to sit on the bed next to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth nodded, to which Charlotte frowned. She had known Elizabeth for too long to take her every word as absolute truth; however she could see that her friend was not ready to speak about what had happened.

"Dear Lizzy, Lady Catherine has once more invited us to dine at Rosings. Will you be well enough to attend?" Charlotte asked, not wishing to appear ungrateful for Lady Catherine's diligent efforts to make her guest feel welcome.

Elizabeth was unsure as to how to reply, however she said to Charlotte, "Forgive me, however I must decline Lady Catherine's kind invitation as I have a sudden headache and I wish to rest."

Charlotte nodded and left the room, leaving Elizabeth alone once more with her thoughts.

Mr Darcy slowly walked back in the direction of Rosings, his pace reflecting his present state of mind. He could not deter his mind from returning to Miss Elizabeth's blatant rejection of his perfectly eloquent proposal, or at least what he had believed to be perfectly eloquent. As his thoughts tended towards the events of the day, his anger rose unbidden for reasons that he could not fathom.

As he climbed the stone staircase and into the vast and ostentatious foyer, Miss Elizabeth's words echoed in his mind.

" _If you had behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner...you are the last man in the world whom I would ever be prevailed upon to marry."_ Mr Darcy shook his head as these thoughts threatened to overwhelm him and not a moment too soon for his aunt, the great Lady Catherine de Bough, could be heard summoning both himself and Richard Fitzwilliam to her presence.

He sighed as he did not wish to sit with his aunt at all, not when his mind was reeling from the barrage of insults that had been hurled at him. However, as Mr Darcy began to ascend the deep mahogany staircase to his room for much needed privacy, he was interrupted by his cousin who had noticed and become curious about his absence.

"Cousin, I have been looking for you, where were you this afternoon? Aunt has been anxious over your absence as you left quite suddenly." Richard declared in a jovial tone as his eyes glinted with mischief.

Mr Darcy glanced at Richard in such a way that suggested that he should not try his temper. Richard nodded however the way in which he tilted his head clearly suggested that he wished for some sort of response from his despondent cousin.

Sighing, Mr Darcy said to Richard, "Richard, could you please make my excuses to aunt for my absence? I cannot face her or anyone at this moment."

Richard wondered what had happened in order to cause this mood in his cousin however he dared not question him as his mood suggested that he was not to be trifled with. However, before he allowed his cousin to remove himself from his company and return to his bedchamber, Richard declared, "I shall know what plagues your mind Darce. I am determined to know."

With that, Mr Darcy was released from obligations concerning their aunt, at least for a little while. Mr Darcy trudged on to his bedchamber which, like most of the decor in Rosings Park, reflected the gaudy style that one would expect from Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Below him, Mr Darcy was able to discern his aunt's displeasure at the fact that he was not attending her as ordered. To his great shame, he realised that some of the words that he had directed at Miss Elizabeth in frustration just that afternoon, as he too had relations to be ashamed and embarrassed of.

As Mr Darcy pondered the events that had transpired in rapid succession, as he removed his cravat and waistcoat, he came to the rather sudden realisation that Miss Elizabeth would be dining with his aunt as he had heard his aunt and her parson speaking about it that morning. Such a realisation caused him no small amount of shock, causing him to sit on his bed in order to regain a semblance of composure. He could not help but wonder why he had reacted in such a way and resolved to discover the reason as soon as he was able, as these feelings made him feel quite ill.

Anger at his aunt for tormenting him in such a manner flared within him suddenly; however it quickly subsided as she could not possibly know about his shame at the affairs of that very afternoon.

Mr Darcy rose from his bed and crossed to the window to look out at the brilliant sunset. After what seemed like an eternity, his trusty valet came to prepare him to dine with company. He frowned as he was dressed, dreading the evening ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hey guys, I am so sorry that it has been so long between updates. I kinda lost motivation for this story as the task of rewriting it was quite daunting but I will try to update a little bit more often. Thank you to everyone for their kind words of support and I hope that this chapter doesn't totally suck. For some reason, even though I tried to make the chapter longer, it refused to cooperate so we have a mini chapter as a result!_**

 ** _Anyways, enjoy!_**

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Once he was dressed appropriately for the evening's engagement, Mr Darcy dismissed his valet by way of thanks. The faithful servant nodded and bowed before leaving the room without being noticed by his master, for he was deep in thought about the evening ahead. Checking his reflection in the standing mirror in front of him, Mr Darcy left the room in order to be present when his aunt's guests arrived.

Due to the events that had transpired that afternoon, Mr Darcy was in no mood to greet guests. He decided that it would be better if he did not dine with the guests for he was sure to cast a pall on the lively party that would soon be arriving and so began the search for his cousin, Richard. Mr Darcy could hear his cousin preparing himself in his bedchamber and so crossed the hallway, knocking at the door in order to alert his cousin that he was standing at the door. After waiting for a few moments, the door was flung open to reveal a smiling Richard. However, upon seeing his cousin's rather grim facial expression, the smile left his face and he gestured for Mr Darcy to enter.

Once inside the room, Mr Darcy declared, "Richard, I cannot go down to dinner tonight. Please convey my regrets to the guests as well as aunt."

Raising his eyebrows with interest, Richard responded, "Why, what happened this afternoon?"

"It is none of your concern, I am merely tired from touring the parks." Mr Darcy responded sternly, not wishing to speak of his feelings.

Richard shook his head, wishing to know his cousin's feelings but knowing that to do so now would not end well, before replying, "Very well, Darce. We will discuss this later but if you do not tell me what is troubling you, I shall have you tell aunt as well."

Mr Darcy nodded, replying softly, "You will know about it when we leave Rosings," before exiting the room in order to return to his own bedchamber for the evening.

Richard muttered in response, "I shall make sure you do, my dear cousin."

Once he was back in his bedchamber, Mr Darcy wished that his dear sister could be there with him to provide guidance and ease his troubled thoughts. She was able to see the problem clearly and provide advice and reassurance if he asked for it, which he had not done in so long for fear of being a burden on his young and innocent sister.

 **xxx**

At the parsonage, Mr Collins' voice echoed throughout the house as he shouted anxiously for his cousin and wife to hasten as he hated to keep his esteemed patroness waiting longer than necessary. He had not been late to an appointment made with Lady Catherine since he had been given the living at the parsonage which had been quite some time.

Worried that her friend would not feel comfortable being left on her own, Charlotte entered Elizabeth's bedchamber to ensure that she was well enough to be left alone for the evening. Her anxious feelings were alleviated when Elizabeth nodded, thus reassuring her friend that she was well and that the headache would pass if she rested for a little while, despite the fact that the headache was a product of Elizabeth's imagination in order to avoid attending the dinner at Rosings. Smiling, Charlotte left the room, calling to her husband that she was prepared to leave for Rosings in order to keep their engagement and arrive on time. A few moments later, the door was closed, silencing the house for the evening, leaving Elizabeth alone in her bedchamber, with only her thoughts to keep her company.

Neither party was aware that they would not be meeting at Rosings, for Mr Darcy dreaded the next day when he would have to explain his actions to his aunt who would likely ensure that he sat with her during all of her morning calls for the duration of his stay, and Elizabeth wished that she would not be in the company of Mr Darcy until she mastered her thoughts and emotions.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Wow, aren't you guys lucky?! Please let me know what you think of this chapter and chapter 2- reviews make me very happy! A longer chapter no less, so yay for me!**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

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From his position at the window of his bedchamber, Mr Darcy could hear the guests being greeted by his cousin and his aunt and deduced that the parson and his wife had been invited to dine with his aunt which must mean that Miss Elizabeth was indeed among the party that evening. This information caused Mr Darcy to feel very grateful to his cousin for giving his excuses to their aunt, for he could not have born being in Miss Elizabeth's presence so soon after he was rejected by her without a second thought.

As he gazed at the gardens, Mr Darcy could hear some of the conversation being conducted by his aunt, if it could be called a conversation for it consisted of Lady Catherine making demands of the Collins'. He could not hear if either the parson or his wife were able to respond to these demands, however his thoughts once again drifted to Miss Elizabeth, causing him to curse his mind for he did not wish to be reminded of one of his greatest failures, chief among these being his inability to remove Wickham from Pemberley before he could develop feelings for his sister.

Mr Darcy silently wondered why he could not remove the thoughts of Elizabeth's rejection from his mind. His mind gave him the answer however it could not be more unexpected, _Because you love_ _her and nothing will stop this feeling._ This thought shocked Mr Darcy, however he could not deny the truth in what his mind was telling him. He did indeed love Miss Elizabeth, which succeeded in making the current situation seem more hopeless than it already was. As soon as he had reached this conclusion, Mr Darcy realised that some of the accusations that he had levelled at Miss Elizabeth were quite hypocritical for his aunt behaved in a manner similar to that of Mrs Bennet- only interested in lace, gossip and other frivolous pursuits, with a voice as loud and demanding as the latter.

Mr Darcy felt remorse for attacking the Bennet's in the manner in which he had, however what he had declared he believed was complete truth. In his honesty and frustration with both himself for not being able to articulate his feelings and with Miss Elizabeth for being incapable of understanding his true meaning, he had said facts that were perhaps better left unsaid even though he wished Miss Elizabeth had come to realise that his love for her was genuine and that he did not care about anything that stood in the way of them being together.

 _Darcy you fool!_ Mr Darcy berated himself for being an imbecile in saying what he had. Despite what had passed between them, he wished for Elizabeth to understand the depth of his sorrow for speaking in such a manner and to make amends for what he had said, as well as offer the prospect of a civil relationship when they were in company together. However he may have wished to, Mr Darcy reminded himself that another proposal would be entirely unwelcome despite his feelings to the young woman from Hertfordshire.

Mr Darcy sat at his desk and began to write the following letter to Miss Elizabeth.

 _Dear Miss Elizabeth,_

 _Please be assured that there will be no renewal of the addresses that I expressed today. I wish merely to let you know that I am sincerely in regret of what I said about your family, as I realise that my own is somewhat the same. This is no excuse for my behaviour which was ungentlemanly, as you said._

 _It is my hope that in the future we may meet with some civility and attempt to become friends._

 _Your friend,_

 _Fitzwilliam Darcy_

Reading the letter over, Mr Darcy was satisfied that the contents would not offend the recipient. Mr Darcy realised that the letter could not be sent without raising some suspicion from the servants and likely Richard and his aunt if they were to learn of it being sent from the house. He wished to see Miss Elizabeth once more, thus deciding that he would deliver the letter personally, paying no heed to social convention in his haste to leave his bedchamber.

At some point in the evening, Mr Darcy had come to the conclusion that Miss Elizabeth had stayed at the parsonage, thus leading to his eagerness to deliver his letter directly to the parsonage at such a late hour.

Once he was safely out of the house, Mr Darcy hurried to the stables and ordered for his horse to be readied as quickly as possible.

Elizabeth was plagued by the events of that afternoon and her thoughts regarding said events. She could not help but wonder what could have possessed Mr Darcy, who in her opinion was the most proud man in all of England to propose to her especially since he had made it quite clear that he viewed Elizabeth beneath his station.

As she sat upon her bed, Elizabeth tried to pinpoint the element of Mr Darcy's proposal that had caused her to completely and utterly refuse him. It was then that she remembered what Mr Darcy had said in connection to her family, that it would be a degradation for him to be aligned with the likes of her mother and father through his marriage to Elizabeth.

Unable to remain seated, Elizabeth sought an occupation and settled on pacing the room, her agitation dissipating as she paced. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hoofbeats on gravel rapidly approaching the parsonage, followed by a brief silence as the rider dismounted. A knock at the door signalled that the rider wished to gain admittance, causing Elizabeth to wonder who it could be at such an hour.

After a brief conversation with the rider, a servant entered her bedchamber, apologising before telling her, "There is a man to see you. Pardon the intrusion, miss."

Elizabeth was shocked as she replied, "Thank you. I will be down in a few moments."

The servant nodded and left the room.

Elizabeth hurriedly made herself presentable for company when a thought suddenly struck her as to the identity of her visitor, _it could be Mr Darcy_. Shaking her head, Elizabeth made her way down the stairs and entered the drawing room to find a man resting against the fireplace mantle, facing away from Elizabeth as he stared into the flames.

Taking a reassuring breath to steady her voice and emotions, Elizabeth walked towards the man.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Yay another chapter! Thank you for all of your kind words. Some of this chapter is different from the original, so if you have read that you may be in for a surprise. If not, don't worry- nothing important is skipped.**_

 _ **Guest- thanks for your kind words. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter.**_

 _ **Kss- This chapter doesn't have an ElizabethxDarcy conversation but it does feature a conversation between Richard and Darcy which is rather entertaining (or at least I thought so!)**_

 _ **Ok, so this chapter may get a bit confusing at the start as it goes back in time a little bit and then goes forward again. Hopefully confusion will be avoided but if not, feel free to tell me and I can re-think the start of the chapter.**_

 _ **On with the story...**_

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As he rode along through the park, Mr Darcy thought about everything that he wished to say to Miss Elizabeth once he reached the parsonage. He realised that no matter how much he wished it, Miss Elizabeth may refuse to see him, even if he were admitted into the parsonage. This thought filled Mr Darcy with dread and he shook his head to rid himself of it. With shame, Mr Darcy recalled his own conduct and that of his aunt in relation to Miss Elizabeth and he would not blame Elizabeth if she did refuse to meet with him.

After a few more minutes of riding, Mr Darcy arrived at the parsonage and quickly dismounted. He hurried to the door and pounded on it, however he realised that this may be shocking to the servants for the hour was late and no one was expected to arrive at the parsonage, other than the family of course.

Hearing the knock on the door, a servant came to the door and enquired to whom Mr Darcy wished to speak. He announced that he wished to speak with Miss Elizabeth and was ushered into the drawing room to await her arrival.

Once in the drawing room, restlessness overtook Mr Darcy and forced him to pace about the room as a means to quell the sudden rise in nerves, something which surprised Mr Darcy for he believed himself to be confident and calm at all times. After a few rounds of the room, Mr Darcy settled against the fireplace mantle, his face being warmed by the flames. Suddenly, the door opened and he heard a woman gasp as he turned around, finding himself face to face with Miss Elizabeth.

For a moment, Mr Darcy simply stared at Miss Elizabeth, drinking in her beauty, a beauty which could never be his because of her refusal. Miss Elizabeth shifted her weight awkwardly under Mr Darcy's intense scrutiny, forcing Mr Darcy to return to the present. Once he was, he recalled that social convention dictated that he bow, which he did and watched as Elizabeth bowed in response.

When she raised her eyes to his, Mr Darcy could see all of the hurt and anger in her eyes, as she likely was not expecting for the very man that she refused to come waltzing into the room so soon after her refusal.

In order to dispel Elizabeth's agony at being in his presence, Mr Darcy spoke saying, "Miss Elizabeth, forgive me for the intrusion on your privacy. I merely wished to deliver a letter to you." At this, he proffered the letter, silently asking that Elizabeth take it.

Mr Darcy could see that Elizabeth was curious as to the contents of the letter, despite her anger and hatred with him.

Feeling that it would be rude to say nothing to Mr Darcy, Elizabeth responded, "Mr Darcy, I was not expecting visitors this evening. I assumed that you would be dining at Rosings tonight."

"I could not face my aunt..." Mr Darcy replied, shocked at his own response to the silent question Elizabeth had posed when she wished to know why he was there.

Elizabeth glanced at the floor as she replied, "Oh. I was ill with a headache and did not want to ruin the dinner."

Conscious that he had outstayed his welcome, Mr Darcy stated, "Forgive me. I will leave you now."

With a quick bow, Mr Darcy hastened out of the room and the house, leaving Elizabeth to her thoughts once more.

 **xxx**

Once Mr Darcy had exited the house, he could be seen mounting his powerful steed out of the parsonage window.

Elizabeth glanced at the letter which was still in her hand, her lip bitten in confusion as she tried to account for the letter and its contents. Tracing the outline of Mr Darcy's masculine but beautiful handwriting with her eyes, she opened the letter and began to read.

 _Dear Miss Elizabeth,_

 _Please be assured that there will be no renewal of the addresses that I expressed today. I wish merely to let you know that I am sincerely in regret of what I said about your family, as I realise that my own is somewhat the same. This is no excuse for my behaviour which was ungentlemanly, as you said._

 _It is my hope that in the future we may meet with some civility and attempt to become friends._

 _Yours,_

 _Fitzwilliam Darcy_

Once she had read the letter through twice, Elizabeth's feelings were very confused and in utter turmoil. She thought, ' _He still wants to attempt a friendship even though I rejected him thus?'_ Elizabeth was having difficulty in reconciling the author of the letter with the man who had gracelessly proposed to her that very afternoon, as he had readily acknowledged that his family was at fault too for one reason or another.

With a deep breath, Elizabeth attempted to settle her nerves and was able to do so well before her cousin and friend returned. When Charlotte saw how unsettled her friend was, she was curious however she did not wish to upset her friend any further. Elizabeth had been quite sure to hide the letter from her friend for she was not yet ready to share her feelings regarding the young gentleman of Pemberley in Derbyshire.

 **xxx**

Once he had returned to Rosings, Mr Darcy observed that the guests had gone, however before he could reach the staircase he was stopped by Richard. Sighing, Mr Darcy raised his eyebrows in silent question for Richard seemed about to ask him a great many questions.

"Fitz, where were you?" Richard asked, full of curiosity.

Unwilling to disclose his location, Mr Darcy responded, "It is of no importance."

Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Richard challenged, "Really?"

Nodding, Mr Darcy replied, "I will tell you in the privacy of the study reserved for my use. Shall we?"

The two made their way up the stairs and into the study. Mr Darcy shut the door and poured some whiskey into a glass and asked if Richard cared for some to which he nodded.

"Very well, Richard. You must not repeat what I say to anyone or use it as a source of teasing." Mr Darcy declared sternly.

Richard nodded, inviting his cousin to continue.

"I went to see Miss Bennet." Mr Darcy said slowly.

Richard's eyes widened, amusement and shock dancing in them. Mr Darcy glared in response.

"Fitz, what did this young woman do to you?" Richard asked, sensing that this was not the full explanation of why his cousin was in such a black mood.

Looking down, Mr Darcy said, "She refused me."

Silence reigned for a few moments as Richard processed the information that his cousin had presented him with. He could not believe that his cousin would be so impulsive, for it was not truly in his nature.

"Why would you do that, Fitz? She refused you. It was highly improper." Richard said, annoyed with his cousin for acting in such a manner.

"I...I had to. Richard, I..." Mr Darcy stammered, unable to confess the truth to his cousin and friend.

"You love her, do you not?" Richard asked gently.

Mr Darcy nodded.

"I should like to see her again, Fitz." Richard said, before leaving the room and his cousin to his thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

**_I'm back! Wow, you guys are amazing- thanks so much to everyone who's favourited, followed or reviewed up to this point, it honestly makes my day!_**

 ** _Jansfamily4- I realised that it made no sense and so I changed the last sentence of the last chapter and kinda completely re-wrote this chapter to make it make sense canonically. Thanks for the feedback and enjoy the chapter!_**

 ** _Carol- thanks for your kind review!_**

 ** _On with the story..._**

 ** _By the way, I only own the plot!_**

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The next day dawned bright and clear. Elizabeth glanced at the letter which sat on her dressing table, confusion still filling her when she thought about the content of the letter. With one last fleeting glance, Elizabeth made her way down the stairs in order to join her friend and cousin at the breakfast table. Charlotte smiled when she saw Elizabeth and Mr Collins glanced up from his plate, his cheeks stuffed with food, causing Elizabeth to liken him to a squirrel.

"Good morning, Lizzy. I hope you are well this morning?" Charlotte asked as her friend sat down.

Nodding, Elizabeth replied, "I am well. The headache has well and truly passed."

At that moment, Mr Collins spoke, having swallowed his mouthful of breakfast, "My dear cousin, we have been invited to take tea at Rosings. Will you join us?"

Elizabeth started for a moment, shocked that she would be forced into Mr Darcy's presence before she replied, "I shall be able to attend. Will you excuse me?"

With that, Elizabeth hurried out of the room and out the door. Walking had always been Elizabeth's solace and this time was no different. She could not tell Charlotte of what had transpired the previous evening for she would not believe Mr Darcy capable of penning such a letter. Elizabeth herself could barely comprehend the contents, however she had believed the truthfulness of them the moment that she read them.

Sometime during her walk, she found herself in the gardens of Rosings Park. From a distance, she saw the profile of a man and started. The man walked towards her, raising his hand in greeting. Elizabeth smiled when she recognised the man as Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"Miss Bennet. I trust you are well this morning?" Richard asked, smiling at the young woman.

"Thank you, Colonel. Forgive me for not attending dinner." Elizabeth responded with a shallow curtsey.

Richard smiled, amused that the polite woman before him could cause his cousin so much pain.

"Miss Bennet, was my cousin well when you last saw him?" Richard asked, curious as to what the young woman would say, if she would indeed divulge any details of the failed proposal for Mr Darcy had not breathed a word on the matter.

"I believe so. We did not part well, however." Elizabeth said, careful to avoid the details of the failed proposal to the cousin of the man that she had refused.

Sighing, Richard nodded before he said, "A shame. Shall we see you at tea this afternoon?"

"You shall. Until then, colonel." Elizabeth said with a curtsey. She then turned and went back in the direction of the parsonage.

When Richard finally made his way back to Rosings, he was beyond curious as to what had transpired between his cousin and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He thought it honourable that she refused to share such information with him however this did nothing to satisfy his curiosity on the matter.

As he was walking to his study, he caught sight of Fitzwilliam Darcy.

"Fitz! I must speak to you." Richard called urgently.

Raising his eyebrow in confusion and intrigue, Mr Darcy asked, "What is this about? Perhaps we should retire to the study?"

Nodding in agreement, Richard and Mr Darcy made their way to the study. Once in the study, the two gentlemen sat in the chairs by the fireplace before Richard spoke.

"Fitz, I met Miss Elizabeth in the gardens just now for she was out walking alone." Richard declared, quickly gaining the interest of Mr Darcy despite the fact that he tried desperately to hide it.

"Oh? Is she well?" Mr Darcy asked, with apparent interest.

"Yes. She said you did not part well when you last met. What happened?" Richard asked, curious as to what his cousin was hiding from him.

Mr Darcy rubbed his face with his hands as he loudly exhaled. He had wished to avoid telling his cousin of his failure, however it would not do to lie outright to his closest friend.

With a sigh, Mr Darcy replied, "I...proposed."

Richard stared at his cousin in shock, unsure how to react to such a declaration. He believed his cousin was in earnest however he could not believe that he would declare himself without serious thought as to how his sister would react. The woman in question had seemed nice when she spoke to him which begged the question, what had gone wrong?

"What happened? She did not accept?" Richard asked, encouraging his cousin to continue his tale.

"She did not." Mr Darcy said with a shake of his head.

"But why?" Richard exclaimed.

"I said...things. No woman in her right mind would have said yes unless they purely wanted my money." Mr Darcy responded.

"Fitzwilliam Darcy, I demand the whole of it. Now." Richard demanded, staring at his cousin as if daring him to refuse such a request.

"I told her how unsuitable her family was and how I had separated her sister from Bingley. I truly believed every word at the time, but now..."

"My God, no wonder she refused."Richard said, barely able to look at his cousin such was his anger in that moment.

When Richard's anger had simmered, he glanced at his cousin. Never had he seen a man more heart-broken. He could not fault his cousin for being honest, however in this case he wished that he had been less honest in his proposal for if he had, Miss Elizabeth may have been his by now.

"Fitz, Miss Elizabeth is to take tea with us this afternoon." Richard said, hoping that this news would raise his cousin's spirits.

"Truly? I am not sure it is good for me to be there." Mr Darcy responded.

"Nonsense, she seemed pleased at the prospect of taking tea with us today." Richard responded. Mr Darcy relaxed slightly before once again tensing.

"But what shall I say to her?" Mr Darcy asked, looking at Richard with sincerity.

"Practice civility and everything will be fine." Richard said, patting Mr Darcy on the shoulder reassuringly.

That afternoon, Elizabeth made her way to Rosings, accompanied by her cousin and friend. In her mind, she was rehearsing what she could say to Mr Darcy if he should wish to speak to her. She was glad, however that Colonel Fitzwilliam would be joining them along with Lady Catherine for then she could make conversation with them and have as little to do with Mr Darcy as possible, for she still felt the indignity of being slighted in such a way.

At last, they reached the imposing building and were admitted by a butler. They were then shown into the drawing room where Lady Catherine, Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam were seated. The gentlemen rose when Elizabeth entered the room and she curtsied in response.

"Miss Elizabeth, you shall sit beside my nephew." Lady Catherine instructed, pointing in the direction of Colonel Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth nodded and made her way to where he sat.

"Miss Elizabeth, you are well?" Richard enquired politely, glancing at his cousin as he spoke. Mr Darcy stared impassively at the wall.

"Thank you, colonel, I am." Elizabeth replied with a smile.

"I am glad to hear it. Are you glad to hear it, too, Mr Darcy?" Richard asked with a smirk, as he looked at his cousin to gauge his response.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as Mr Darcy turned to look at her and nodded in agreement. She blushed as he cast his impassive stare over her face before resuming his previous position of staring at the wall.

"I hope that you have enjoyed your time with us, Miss Elizabeth." Lady Catherine declared loudly, effectively interrupting any further conversation between Elizabeth and the colonel.

"I have, thank you." Elizabeth replied with a nod.

Mr Collins then chose that precise moment to begin a speech about Lady Catherine's great hospitality and kindness towards his cousin. Elizabeth appeared interested for a few moments when she heard a new voice beside her.

"I hope, Miss Elizabeth, that you will allow me to apologise for my behaviour towards you during you time here and accept my wishes that you arrive safely home." Mr Darcy said, speaking quietly so as to avoid detection by his aunt.

Surprised, Elizabeth turned to face Mr Darcy before she said in response, "Thank you for your kind words sir. I accept and wish you the same."

Silence reigned for a few moments as Mr Darcy debated his next words before stating, "I have thought of your accusations often and must confer upon you knowledge of my dealings with Wickham. I hope that I will not be judged as harshly as I have been once I have told you of them."

"Mr Darcy..." Elizabeth started, however she was cut off as Mr Darcy continued to speak.

"Wickham eloped with my sister and had nearly managed to marry her before I found them. I rescued my sister from him and compensated him handsomely. In response, he gambled away the money and came to ask for more. I refused and told him to leave and never return. To this day, I am reminded of my failure as a brother. These are all of my dealings with Wickham." Mr Darcy declared. He glanced at Elizabeth, only to find her wiping away silent tears however she stopped when she felt Mr Darcy's eyes trained on her face.

"Forgive me, I have said too much. I have burdened you with my problems. I will leave you now." Mr Darcy apologised.

"Mr Darcy, forgive me for accusing you of acting cruelly towards Mr Wickham. It is I who was wrong to judge you." Elizabeth responded quietly.

Richard smirked as he watched his cousin and Miss Elizabeth converse. He knew that one day his cousin would confess his love for the young woman once more.


End file.
